


I'm Here For You

by ScarletFae7



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien | Chat needs a hug, Angst with a Happy Ending, Black Mailing, Blood and Violence, But luckily Chat is there for her, Character Death, Crying, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Lila has a very dark side, Lila is a master mind evil, Marinette | Ladybug needs a hug, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Shadow Moth is more vicious, She is the worst, The Guardian is in danger, They are both 19, Wolf miraculous holder, violent akumas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletFae7/pseuds/ScarletFae7
Summary: Four Years....Four Years since Ladybug has waited for her beloved partner...After Hawk Moth's defeat, Ladybug was excited that finally they will reveal to each other not that her growing feelings for Chat Noir helped but...When Chat left without a word, not even saying as much as a simple goodbye... Ladybug has been left waiting for his return...Adrien is recovering from his dilemma of finding his father's identity and from all the pain and grief, is reserved to being left alone...But when a new villain threatens Paris, he is forced to return and is met by an old partner...Together they are strong, they are a balance and without the other... they are incomplete.As the vicious threat of Shadow Moth looms over the city, they unite once again while sorting out their feelings and emotions along the way.And then, their is a new miraculous holder... Louve... with her help, it must be easy to defeat this new evil master manipulator... right?Not to mention, Shadow Moth is specifically after the Guardian...But Chat is there for her.... he always is, in or out of the mask.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Emilie Agreste & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Comments: 9
Kudos: 34





	1. Longing

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first ever fic and I hope you will like it.  
> Please support and let me know if you like the idea!  
> Also this story is made on a strong plot, and I hope it will keep you contained till the end.

Ladybug stood atop the Eiffel Tower.

The cool night air sweeping past her midnight hair tied up in her signature pigtails.

Her crystal blue eyes swept over the city skyline as she breathed in the breeze to clear her mind. Her eyes seemed to be looking over the city for any danger but in reality, her mind was somewhere else whenever she came to these patrols.

Her eyes only searched for a certain black clad superhero who has always supported her through the years. Who has always been by her side through the three years they fought together against Hawk Moth...

A partner who always managed to make her smile given the worst of conditions or no matter how down she must be feeling. 

He was always there...

And his name was Chat Noir...

Ladybug shuddered as the reminder of his name brought chills down her body. His green eyes... those deep emeralds in which she would get lost for forever... she wished she could see them again.

She missed him. 

She missed him so much and she didn't even get a chance to tell him her feelings...

That she had finally fell for him...

Ladybug tried to control the stinging feeling in her eyes as she unhooked the yo-yo from her waist and tossed it down to one of the chimneys on a roof top and tugged on it. She was pulled along down the length of the Eiffel Tower as she kept tossing and tugging on her yo-yo, not sure where she was headed but the only thing she was sure of... was that she needed to escape this lonely feeling in her heart.


	2. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new butterfly looms over the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a brand new chapter for you guys!   
> Hope you'll like it!

Marinette squirmed in her sleep as the faint sound of ringing reached her.But she just buried her face further into her cat plush as she dreamed...

_Glowing emerald green eyes staring back at her as they took a break from their patrol on the Eiffel Tower..._

_Holding her hands in his as she slowly reached up on her toes... heart fluttering violently in her chest. He leaned down towards her too as they were just a centimetre apart from_ —

"MARINETTE!" she jolted up on her bed as she looked around herself in panic. "Wh-what happened?!" She caught sight of Tikki hovering in front of her as she rested her tiny paws on her head dismissively. Marinette could hear it now. That faint ringing from her sleep was much louder now... it was her alarm.

She scrambled to shut it and saw the time. "OH NOOOO!" she screamed as she threw the blankets away and jumped down the stairs from her loft and rushed to the bathroom in a haste. "Don't worry Marinette, you will make it in time." Tikki assured as she hovered to the closed door of her bathroom. "I'm sure of it, after all this isn't the first time you are late."

"I'm late Tikki!" came Marinette's muffled voice. "And this is my first year of university! If I keep this up I'm going to get expelled!" she whimpered. "My fashion career is ruined!"

"Come on Marinette, just get ready quickly and come out!" Tikki soothed.

Marinette's room was mostly the same as before with its pink decor and furniture but the number of mannequins had increased as well as her sewing supplies and her sketchbooks together with all her designs. Up on the wall beside her bed were now more photos of Chat Noir than Adrien now as she had moved on from quite some years ago. But as she started to pay more attention towards her partner, she realized who had really been by her side all this time. And her heart started to do back flips whenever she saw him from then on. 

She couldn't resist thinking about who he was under the mask and how soft his lips would feel on hers...

She almost got herself knocked off during some akuma fights because she couldn't rip her eyes off him whenever he came to join her in the fights. Chat had been concerned about her and she had noticed how he had started to act differently around her from some time. It ached her heart to think that he might be moving on from her...

But she had decided to tell him her feelings as soon as they revealed their identities to each other after Hawk Moth's defeat but...

Things didn't go quite as planned as for some strange reason Chat disappeared without a word. She came by to check on him every night as she searched the city and even called him but all of her messages went to voicemail. She didn't stop hoping that one day, her Chaton would come back to her. Whatever was the reason she knew he didn't do it to hurt her. There must be something worrying him.

And then there was Adrien...

After a while of running around her room and grabbing the things she needed, Marinette was ready to go. She wore a light pink pencil skirt with a same coloured mini-coat and a white shirt underneath. Her hair were tied up in a bun and she wore black pencil heels with her outfit as she hurried to grab her purse holding it open for Tikki and shutting it close as soon as she entered it.

She hurried to grab her files and practically jumped down the stairs as she grabbed a croissant from the counter saying hurried good byes to her parents and exited the bakery. It was amusing to think about how she had mastered in getting ready in a span of mere minutes over these years despite her trying hard to wake up early. But when her dreams occupied Chat, she couldn't bring herself to wake up.

Marinette ran down the street to a bus stop where thank fully, she had arrived on time and entered it. She saw Alya waving at her from the last row of seats in the bus sitting beside Nino and immediately went over to join them. They had kept a seat for her by the window so there was no problem as she took a sigh of relief as soon as she settled in it.

"So, late as always?" Alya teased from beside her as Nino tried to act casual but Marinette could see that he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Go on, laugh all you want. I'm not saying anything." Marinette mumbled.

"No way girl!" Alya said as she fixed her glasses over her eyes as nudged her in the arm. "We are not laughing at you! Besides we were just waiting for you to show up because I wanted to show you something!" 

Marinette turned around from the window she was looking out from as the bus rode on to her best friend. Alya was scrolling through her phone as she came upon a picture of Adrien Agreste and showed it to her. Her heart warmed as she looked at it. He was in a black suit and shaking hands with an elderly man who was in a suit too. Adrien was smiling his usual model smile but it did have some hint of sincerity in it.

"Who is he?" Marinette asked softly. "This is Monsieur Marceau, who had helped see to the Agreste Fashions until Adrien turned eighteen." Alya explained. "Oh," Marinette could remember now. Adrien had been given full rights to Agreste Fashions after he turned eighteen but he insisted in keeping Monsieur Marceau beside him to help him through with how the industry worked. And Marceau had been both a fatherly figure as well as a good teacher for an year after until recently Adrien turned nineteen. 

"He is finally leaving the industry as he is soon to retire and now Adrien has been left as the CEO of Agreste Fashions!" Alya squealed. "Can you believe it?" Marinette's eyes widened and she gasped. "Really Alya?" she nodded and Marinette felt so happy for Adrien. He had worked hard to get there after all.

"Yeah, my bro has got it!" Nino chimed in. "I knew he had it in him. This was the last conference in which Adrien and Marceau sorted things out for the last time... though I hope I would've been there to congratulate him." Nino's excitement dulled as he came to the last part of his sentence. Both Marinette and Alya became sad too.

Four years ago, after Hawk Moth's defeat and when his identity was exposed to the world, Adrien was forced to leave Paris and move to Lyon for further studies until he took hold of his father's business. Adrien had said it was okay since he could not stay Paris with so many reporters surrounding his house asking for answers to their questions which were very absurd.

Some of them asking he knew of any of his father's secret activities while others demanding if he was involved in any of his activities.

Nino, Alya and Marinette had been ready to give those reporters a piece of their mind but Adrien stopped them, saying it would be of no use. They had noticed how some the light of his eyes had left him after what had happened and they hurt for him. They wished there was some other way but he had to go.

But they didn't let their friend go just like that. They threw him a party with all of their class involved the day before his departure. They could see how happy he was and he and he had promised to visit them once in a while but he got more and more busy with his studies and even his calls got limited to once in a few months. They couldn't do anything about it but at least there was a ray of hope now that they knew Adrien had gotten a hold of his business that he might be able to get a vacation.

They really hoped he wouldn't shut their invitation of his coming to Paris or even their going to him in Lyon like he always did ever so politely. It seemed as if he _wanted_ to be left alone...

He had become so distant in these past four years...

"I don't know what he says but we are going to call him tonight and tell him to—" Alya's eyes widened as she looked out the window behind Marinette. "What happened Alya?" Marinette frowned and as she Nino's eyes widen too, she was forced to look behind her too.

Her eyes widened as she a building crumbling before her very own eyes and before she could fathom the cause of this destruction, the bus came to a halt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I decided to not do the prologue right now. Might do in a while though.  
> Huh, a cliff hanger so soon?  
> Don't know where that came from...  
> *winks*


	3. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir returns to Paris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys....  
> I hope you like this chapter, I put a good amount of effort in it.  
> Enjoy ;)

Adrien looked outside the open window of his room. The cool air brushed past his face and shifted his blond hair slightly as he sighed in contentment. 

Today...

It was going to be today that he finish everything up here in Lyon and some time next week... he will heading back to Paris. Back to the city he so hoped he would never have to show his face to again. How would he cope with all the stares thrown his way? All the questions that he had been trying to avoid and came to Lyon to escape them. Most of all, how would he confront his friends again?

But he had to... he had to go back there because now he was the CEO of Agreste Fashions that stood in Paris. 

He could remember that day so vividly that it hurt.

The day him and Ladybug had defeated Hawk Moth for good. The day he had found out that it was his own father that had hid behind that mask the three years they had been trying to chase him down. 

_"You can't defeat me Ladybug and Chat Noir!"_ he had shouted to them as he and Mayura stared them down from the Eiffel Tower.

_"This is going to be an endgame for you..."_

He remembered everything in its finest detail. How Hawk Moth and Mayura had suddenly struck after weeks of silence with a huge army of akumas and sentimonsters— almost half of Paris turned against them... against just the two of them. The thought always managed to bring a smile to his face whenever he thought about it, no matter how down he must be feeling in the moment. 

He still remembered her... Ladybug. He had tried so hard to move on from her and when he had— he found himself getting comfort somewhere else. 

Marinette... she always managed to make him smile. He felt so light in her presence like she took all his sorrows away and filled his heart with a warmth he hadn't been able to feel in ages. He wasn't able to understand his feelings for her just yet even after she had started to become more open to him and her stutters had lessened too. But he never got a chance to name his feelings for her as he had to move away.

Adrien sighed as he looked up at the clear blue sky making him remember someone that had blue eyes....

It was no doubt his father had been Hawk Moth as he thought about it now. His cold and distant behaviour matched the villain's melancholic and evil one so well. He wished he would've found it out earlier but then maybe this was the best time he found it when he did. His last words rang so clearly in his mind even to this day.

_"You wont drop me now would you, Chat Noir?"_ He had said as he dangled from the top of the Eiffel Tower after his miraculous being ripped off him. As he had stared at him with mixed emotions in his heart. 

_"You are a hero, aren't you?"_

The words still rang in his mind.

_"You are a hero aren't you?"_

Adrien inhaled sharply as he suddenly heard the familiar ringtone of his phone. He turned around just in time to see Plagg floating right up to his face with his phone held in his tiny paws. Adrien smiled as he took the phone from him. Plagg had been a little more supportive of him after their last fight with the super villain. Though it had been only slight but Adrien had noticed it and had appreciated it. Plagg nodded his head and flew off somewhere in the apartment he owned. It was a small apartment he had been living in since he came to Lyon four years ago but it was better than the cold, big mansion he used to live in Paris.... speaking of which, he might have to go back to living there again when he went there.

He shuddered at the thought and hoped he wont have to. 

His phone rang again, snapping him out of his muddled thoughts and alerting him of the various notifications that suddenly started popping up on his screen. Adrien frowned as he unlocked his phone and opened one of the notifications from the Ladyblog. He hadn't stopped checking it every now and then these past four years, looking for any glimpse he could catch of his partner... even though he might never meet her again.

His heart suddenly stopped as his eyes widened at the recent update on the Ladyblog. _No... no, no, NO!_ He internally freaked out at what scene he saw at the screen of his phone.

This was bad.

* * *

Ladybug jumped and ran to the side of a nearby building as she dodged another one of the blasts directed her way. 

"Come on out, you pesky little bug!" The akuma, who called himself 'Hard Core, shouted in his husky voice as he angled his arm in front of himself and fired another blast from his hand. The blast knocked out a large part of the building it was fired at and any more people who hadn't ran away yet, screamed as they made their way in much safer directions and away from him. Ladybug was glad that she had been able to evacuate most of the people but she still hadn't figured out where the akuma was hiding.

She panted to catch her breath as she watched Hard Core blast more of the buildings and keep calling for her at the top his lungs. This akuma seemed pretty odd in some way as she thought about it. It was more intent on fighting her and destroy stuff rather demand her miraculous like all the previous akumas had done four years ago. But surprisingly, this one hadn't demanded her miraculous even once yet.

"This is all my fault!" Ladybug freaked out to no one in particular in her hiding spot by the side of a building. "If I hadn't lost the butterfly miraculous none of this would be happening _again_!" She steadied her breath and peeked out once more to try and observe this akuma one more time for its possessed item. She was really missing Chat right now. She frowned as she could not find the akuma anywhere. "Where did he go—"

_"FOUND YOU!"_ Ladybug sharply turned around as her eyes widened and her heart leapt in her throat at the sight of Hard Core standing a few metres behind her with his hand facing her directly, ready to fire. Ladybug didn't have a second to dodge this one as she brought her arms in front of herself in hopes to block the blast and braced herself for the oncoming pain.

She heard the blast go off but didn't feel any pain. Instead she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist and her face being pressed in a cool material like leather and her feet being lift off the ground. She was flying... she was sure of that. Heart thumping loudly, she slowly opened her eyes and suddenly she thought she was dreaming.

It was him. It had to be.

Blond locks being ruffled off by the wind as he held her close to his chest and used his staff to vault them across from where the akuma was throwing a rampage. His eyes flickered towards her for a brief second before looking away again. But she caught it, the glow of his green eyes that stood out even more through his black mask. The eyes she had been dreaming about for four years in her dreams... the eyes she so longed to see again for real...

It was him... she knew it was. 

It was her Chaton.

Chat Noir gently landed her on her feet as soon as they were far enough from the akuma and safe on a building not too far away from it either, so that they could keep an eye on it.

There was a tense silence between them as they stood apart a few metres from each other. Ladybug didn't like it... the distance between them but Chat had created it himself by moving away from her as soon as he set her down on the roof. He was now standing in front her with his face turned in the direction of the akuma not too far away, madly searching for them. But he could feel Ladybug's eyes on him as he prepared himself for her rebuke.

But she didn't say anything as she kept looking at him. She didn't know what to feel in this moment. Should she be happy that he had finally returned? Or disappointed? Or angry that he decided to show up _now_ that an akuma was destroying everything but hadn't showed up before. Did she mean anything to him at all? 

But honestly, she just felt tired. 

Chat suddenly looked towards her and she was snapped out from her conflicting thoughts as she steadied her furious heart. "S-sorry, I-I didn't mean to stare." She mentally face palmed herself. _And here I thought I had stop stuttering._ "Its just that I'm seeing you after such a long time." she said softly and Chat finally looked at her properly with— what was that— guilt in his eyes? Ladybug frowned.

Chat sighed as he let his arms fall limply by his sides. "No... I'm the one who is sorry." he said. "I-I'm..." he pressed his lips together in a firm line as he tried to consider his next words. He had been afraid of this moment. When he'll have to face her again. How would he explain to her that he had been gone because he didn't want to face her... How would he try to explain it without laying out the fact that he was the son of the villain who had caused so much destruction in Paris four years ago?

"I-I don't know how to tell you..." he continued. "but things have been... pretty hard for me lately and I—" "Chat..." Ladybug said softly feeling all her anger on him fade away as she saw him stumbling over his words and trying so hard to explain whatever had been the cause of his disappearance. "Chat, where were—" She had thought about giving him an easy lead to explain all that had been going on in his head and her own questions and tried to lay a hand on his shoulder for comfort but to her shock, he flinched and quickly backed away. Ladybug stared at him with her arm out stretched mid-air and tried to control her racing heart.

"Chat...?" she questioned despairingly. "I-I'm sorry..." Chat said as he turned from her to faced the city again. "but I'm not worth it." He said as he held onto his staff once again and vaulted into the city below toward the direction of the akuma.

Ladybug blinked as she pulled herself out from her chaotic feelings and looked in the direction where Chat had went. _W-what did he mean by that?!_

_"I-I'm sorry... but I'm not worth it."_

"Chat!" she yelled after him as she dove down from the building with her yoyo. "Chat! Wait!" she called as she tossed her yoyo for another swing and landed beside him just in time as he did a little away from the akuma who had already set half of Paris on fire. "What did you mean by that?" she said as soon as she was near him.

"I'm not worth it, that's what I said." Chat repeated without hesitation, a solemn look on his face. 

Ladybug still didn't know what to make of that. "Chat, answer me clearly." she said. Chat sighed as he looked at her with an expression that was hard to read. "M'lad—" Chat's eyes widened slightly as he hastened to correct himself. "Lady- Ladybug! Just please forgive me... okay?" He said as he vaulted off again to help an old woman who was just about to be crushed under a lot of debris. 

Ladybug stood still. Chat wasn't calling her m'lady anymore. He had flinched when she had tried to touch him. It felt like she was the one being crushed under blocks of cement as she looked with a hollow stare towards her partner who was ushering that old woman to a safety route as he got ready to face the akuma who was glaring at him now.

_What was happening...?_

Ladybug shook her head furiously to clear her conflicting emotions and try not to jump to any conclusions. But there was still a stinging behind her eyelids as she tossed her yoyo to join her partner in the fight. She landed in front of him and started spinning her yoyo to block the both of them from the blast Hard Core inflicted on them. Chat was surprised at her sudden appearance before him but didn't complain as they moved around the akuma cautiously behind the shield Ladybug had made for them.

Ladybug pursed her lips together. She _needed_ to know. "Chat, where were you?" she asked in a hard tone. Chat Noir was a little taken aback by her sudden change in tone. "I- can't tell you that." Ladybug couldn't control her anger now. _He appears after four years and he can't even tell me where he was?!_ "Why?!" she snapped. Chat blinked at her sudden harshness. "If you want to know my identity then maybe I can tell you." he answered ignoring her harshness because he had anticipated this anyway.

She huffed as she couldn't find anything else to say to that. "Can you at least tell me _anything_?!" she said out of frustration. "Ladybug seriously, I don't think this is a time for that. We can ta—" "ENOUGH!" Hard Core growled as he threw a large piece of a block at them and their chat was cut short as Chat pulled Ladybug aside with himself and they fell down the road, rolling together until they stopped with Ladybug on top of him. She lifted her head from his chest and— what was that faint tint on her cheeks just below her mask? Chat would have sworn she was blushing but she quickly got off him and pulled him up too bu offering him a hand.

"Maybe... w-we should deal with this akuma f-first." she stammered and Chat nodded. He knew she had a right to know where he had been but this was just not the right time to tell her all about that.

"I think the akuma is in his cap." he told her. She looked startled as she faced him. "You figured it out already?" Chat nervously scratched the back of his neck. Ladybug inwardly smiled at the familiar action. "Yeah... it wasn't so hard. The cap does look pretty much out of place with its pink colour..." Ladybug really wanted to slap herself at the moment. _Of course that's where the akuma was! How could she have not noticed?!_ Maybe because she was so occupied with defending herself and the civilians from the blasts... that she didn't have time to notice?

"Now would probably be the purr-fect time for your lucky charm Ladybug." Chat said with a nervous smile on his face. Ladybug's heart panged. _He really isn't calling me m'lady anymore...._ Despite her throbbing heart she nodded. "Lucky Charm!" A pair of red with black spotted sunglasses fell in her hands and she stared at them quizzically. "What...?"

"Good." Chat said as he suddenly held her by her wrist and took her into an alley. He let go of her wrist as soon as they were there and took a step back from her, his every move painfully visible to Ladybug as she tried to focus on the mission at hand. "You stay here and try to figure it out while I try to distract him." He told her and ran out into the road with his staff ready in hand. "Chat!" she called and he stopped, looking over his shoulder to her. "Be careful." she said slowly. He seemed surprised for a moment before smiling and nodding as he ran off towards the akuma again.

Ladybug watched him go before quickly searching the surroundings for anything useful for her plan.

_The building on the right. The pole for the street light. The glass windows of the building. The sunglasses in her hands._ That's it!

"Chat!" Ladybug called as she took off running out from the alley she had been hiding into and toward the pole as Chat looked in her direction. "Get him here!" she yelled as she tossed her yoyo that latched on the pole. She tugged on it and as soon as she was there, got herself perched on the pole, waiting with the sunglasses at the ready. Chat nodded in understanding as he yelled to the akuma. "Hey! _Blast-rous_!" Hard Core narrowed his eyes at him as he got ready to shoot him with his blasts again. "Cat got your tongue?" Hard Core let out a furious growl that shook the ground he was standing on. "No? Then _cat-ch_ me if you can!" Chat said as he started running towards the pole Ladybug was perched on, Hard Core hot on his tail.

Ladybug almost rolled her eyes on Chat's puns but couldn't stop from smiling anyway. It reminded her of old times. _At least not everything has changed._ She thought. 

Just as Chat passed from under the pole she was on, Hard Core not too far behind, Ladybug yelled. "Chat! The windows!" Chat nodded before getting ready in front of the glass windows and just as Hard Core was under the pole, he called on his destructive power. "Cataclysm!" His hand bubbled with dark energy as he swiped his hand on one of the glass windows but to Chat's surprise, his cataclysm spread out to all of the glass windows, shattering them one by one in a row. He shielded himself by spinning his staff in front of himself.

Ladybug was startled too but she decided to carry on with the plan. Just as Hard Core angled his hand in front of himself to blast off the shards of glass, Ladybug seeing an opening, jumped from the pole, putting the spotted sunglasses on his eyes to protect them from the shards and taking the pink cap off his head in the same go. She ran a little way away so that she wouldn't be pierced with the breaking glass and ripped the cap away. Hard Core growled as the dark energy left him and he was left as a bewildered man soon after.

The akuma fluttered out from the now ripped off cap and Ladybug got ready to catch it but she was shocked to see a strange kind of akuma. "What...?" she mumbled as Chat helped the man away. The akuma was still a purplish-black butterfly but now it had numerous red spots on its wings and it also had a tail having thorns pricking out of it as it lashed behind it. It made it look like all the more scarier. Chat frowned as he approached her. Ladybug decided to catch the akuma before it could fly away and swiped her yoyo at it but as soon as it touched the akuma, Ladybug felt a searing hot pain surge through her body like a lightening bolt and let out a blood-curdling scream.

"LADYBUG!" Chat yelled as he ran towards her and caught her just in time before she crumbled to the ground. Chat placed her in his lap as he shook her slightly. "LADYBUG!" he yelled again but she only let out a small whimper as she pressed a hand to her heart, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Ladybug, what happened?!" Chat felt so helpless in that moment and could feel his own hands trembling as he held her in his arms and didn't notice the akuma that fluttered by them. 

Ladybug forced open her eyes slightly. "Chat..." she said weakly as she could still feel pain in her heart that threatened to stop. "Yes?" Chat said earnestly as he was just too happy to see her eyes open. "Chat... t-the akuma..." she mumbled as her heard started to swim. She knew she was going to pass out soon. Chat looked around and saw it flying away not too far away from where they sat on the road. "Ladybug? Are you alright?!" he ignored it as his heart raced in his chest. "Chat... please, y-you need t-to catch the aku-ma... it-it is getting a-away..." "NO!" he growled. "I'm _not_ leaving you like this!" "Chat please..." she winced as she tried to move. "Please... Chat, go... I-I don't have much t-time."

"Ladybug..." Chat whispered feeling his own eyes welling up. It was a hard choice to make. But he had to make it, or he might lose her. He nodded despite the pain in his heart and carried her in his arms. Taking her to a more safe place on a building and setting her down gently on a lounge chair there. "I-I'll be back." he whispered reassuringly as he jumped off the roof with his staff giving her a last glance. "I _will_ be back soon." he said as he vaulted from rooftop to rooftop eyes set on the akuma that has caused this pain to his lady. A fire burning in his heart as he kept closing the distance between him and the akuma until he caught up to it.

"Cataclysm!" he yelled and grasped it in his hand. He gasped as he felt a sharp tinge like a needle had been pricked into his hand and landed in a street. He opened his fist and was startled to see that akuma was still fluttering though it had been burned mostly by his cataclysm, but still fluttered weakly like it was dying. "What?" he said but shook his head as he vaulted back towards where Ladybug was with akuma in his fist.

Ladybug felt like she was slowly losing all her senses as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Chat hadn't returned yet and she had to repair all the damage. Suddenly, she felt like she saw a shadow lingering on the roof next to the one she was on. She shuddered as she felt someone was watching her. 

She wouldn't be able to defend herself...

She was alone....

_Chat...._ she called for him weakly but her voice didn't come out as she felt a shiver run down her spine like the shadow was right behind her now...

"Ladybug!" she felt like she could breath again as she felt a familiar voice and Chat's face came into view as he looked at her with concern. "Ladybug... I-I'm here." he said but why did he look so nervous? " Chat... the akuma?" she asked. He sighed as he opened his right palm and she saw a disabled akuma near to its death but struggling nevertheless to get away in there. "I cataclysmed it but... its still alive." he answered.

Ladybug struggled to sit and Chat immediately helped her. She held her yoyo tightly in her hand as she considered this. Chat's eyes widened as he knew what she was thinking at the moment. "No, no! You are not doing this again!" He said as he closed his hand again and looked her directly in the eyes. "Chat..." she coughed. "I need to purify- it." "NO!" Chat told her sternly. Her heart swelled with affection for her partner as she saw how worried he was for her. "Chat its weak now. I think I can manage this... please." she said looking him directly in the eyes. Chat stared back but eventually he had to give up. He could never argue with her. 

He pursed his lips tightly as he gave out a tired sigh. "Fine." he said as he opened up his fist. Ladybug smiled weakly as she took in a deep breath and prepared herself for this. In a neat swipe, the akuma was captured and released as a pure white butterfly that soared away in the sky. "Are you okay?" Chat said as he grabbed her arm and made her look at him again. "Did you feel any pain? Are you hurting?"

There was a pure concern in his eyes. And finally Ladybug felt like nothing had changed between them. "I'm okay." she said. Chat took a sigh of relief as he hugged her, surprising her. They stayed like that for a few minutes and Ladybug relished in every second of the moment. Chat pulled away slowly as he looked her over one last time to make sure she was fine. "S-sorry I... I thought I lost you." he whispered. "Its okay... I'm here." she said with a soft smile.

Chat nodded and her the lucky charm. She took it and threw it in the sky. "Miraculous Ladybug!" She yelled with all her will and the magic washed over Paris but Chat only looked at her holding his breath and releasing it only when it reached her and she sighed feeling the pain wash away with it. 

"Pound it?" she asked catching him looking at her. "Yeah. Pound it." Chat said as he bumped his fist against hers lightly. 

Ladybug stood up with Chat beside her and they kept looking at each other for a while before Chat looked away. "I should go now." Ladybug felt her heart stop as she lunged forward and caught his wrist to stop him. "Chat, we need to talk..." she said as he looked at her. "about a lot of things." Chat knew what she was talking about. It was not only about him but now it was about this new akuma and why that had happened... what had happened to her when she tried to capture it. And about his cataclysm....

"I know." he answered as she released his wrist. "But... not right now please. Some people might be expecting me back at...." he stopped before he could give away anything. He was right, he had a meeting back at Lyon and they might be tearing their hair out right now, wondering where Adrien Agreste was. 

Ladybug sighed but nodded. She would have to answer to Alya and Nino too about her sudden departure when the akuma had struck. "Then... tomorrow night? At patrol?" she looked at him expectantly and he nodded after a moment of considering. He was going to return to Paris in a few days anyway. He vaulted off with his staff as Ladybug watched him until he disappeared out of sight.

Tomorrow she will get her answers. Tomorrow.

Ladybug looked around as she thought about that presence but it was nowhere to be found or... felt. Strange... she thought. She was sure she had felt it. She shrugged as she tossed her yoyo out into the city and swung away too.

* * *

It was dark.

Really dark... with only the faint light pouring into the small room from a circular window....

There was a shuffling sound near it as a girl, probably nineteen, tapped her fingers on a cane held in her hand. Her dark hair tipped with orange fell at her shoulders. And a long purple overcoat sticked to her slim frame as the back of it swept off the floor behind her. A long black collar emerged from her shoulders to her neck, resembling the wings of a butterfly and a black gem with the same wings rested on her chest.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir...." she said in her sweet, honey-like voice as her blood red lips curled into a smile. Her olive eyes sparkling with wickedness. "How did you like my akuma?" she laughed. Her cackles echoing in the empty room.

"I'm afraid my akumas are not going to be as easy to defeat as your previous adversary's ones." she said. "They are blood thirsty... and their thirst can only be quenched with _your_ blood." She laughed once again

A glint of gold on her waist caught the attention of the several white butterflies that started to flutter around more chaotically. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so how did you like that?  
> I know you guys have many questions but they will be answered in the upcoming chapters.  
> Also... who is this new moth?  
> And that shadow....


	4. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is officially back to Paris!  
> But there's an old character back too.... hmm, are they friends or... foe?  
> Also a nightly patrol!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fresh new chapter for u guys! Hope u like it....  
> But how will I know that u like it....?  
> And, guys... I really have to say something important to you... its in the end notes.  
> U can read it after u read this chapter... hopefully, u will understand.  
> Also, all the friends in this story... u know, go to the same university... I don't know if there is such a university that offers all kinds of career choices in Paris but I created it so for this story.

Marinette was ready to go to university again.

Hopefully, any other akuma will not show up anytime soon to ruin another day because the other day there was an akuma, the university got closed for the day and everyone was advised to stay at home.

Marinette could see that the city was beginning to panic a little. Because of the rise of a new Hawk Moth... And they wanted answers. They wanted Ladybug and Chat Noir to answer the questions of the citizens and were asking for them to show up at a conference which will be held by the mayor.

She felt guilty... extremely guilty because Chat Noir was being pushed into all this for no reason. It wasn't his fault akumas were appearing again. It had been _her_ fault. Because _she_ was the one who had lost the butterfly miraculous... 

Tikki had assured her that it was okay. Mistakes happen but she still felt guilty and wanted to go to the conference alone so that Chat would not have to face the people of Paris but Tikki had stopped her saying that Chat would not like her going alone in this and... without him.

Speaking of him... they had set a night patrol today... He better show up or... she honestly didn't know or what.

Marinette sighed and headed downstairs with Tikki in her purse. Surprisingly so... she had managed to wake up early today. Maybe it was because of the akuma yesterday and her longing thoughts about Chat....

It was stressing her out. How he had changed.... He would not call her by any nicknames. He would be careful with his choice of words while speaking to her. He would maintain a specific distance between them. He wouldn't touch her or want _her_ to touch him...

The last one hurt her the most. He had said he didn't deserve it but she argued and she will still argue. Why was he acting like this? Why had he been gone for such a long time time? Why had he changed so... much? 

She hoped she will get all her answers at night but a small part of her feared... that he might not show up again. That he will disappear like he did last time. She shook her head furiously. _No, this time he had_ said _he will come._ She reminded herself but first she will have to go through this long day.

"Is everything all right Marinette?" her mother asked and Marinette realized that she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even known she had come downstairs and was sitting at the table with her parents for breakfast. She gave a nervous nod as she stuffed a croissant in her mouth to try and act casual.

"Are you sure?" her father said. "Because you woke up pretty early this morning. Ow!" He rubbed the arm his wife had smacked in order to shush him. 

"Tom! I wasn't talking about that. It's a good thing she woke up so early. But I was talking about her mood." Sabine said as they both looked at Marinette. 

"Its okay maman, papa." Marinette said. "I was just thinking about yesterday's akuma." 

"Oh you don't have to worry about that Marinette." Tom said happily to lighten her mood. "Ladybug is going to take care of those akumas just like she did before. And she even has Chat Noir by her side again!" Marinette's heart warmed at the strong faith her parents had in their heroes even after one of them made a huge blunder.

"I really do wonder though where Chat Noir was all these years?" Sabine suddenly said and Marinette's attention snapped to her. "We only got to see Ladybug from time to time but never him."

"Yes and Ladybug seemed so alone without him." Tom said and Marinette felt her heart constrict with the all too familiar emotion. _No!_ she said to herself. _He is back now. And he is_ not _going to leave you again!_

"I-I think I should leave now!" she said, a little too loud to be considered normal. "I don't wanna be late! Bye! See ya!" She said in the same breath as she planted a kiss on each of their cheeks and ran out the door. 

"But Marinette there's half an hour left before your university starts!" Her father called after her but she was already gone. "Sometimes I just can't understand this girl." He said and Sabine smiled softly.

* * *

Marinette ran all the way to the park and sat down on a bench to catch her breath. She hadn't meant to run out like that but the topic of her partner being brought up had shattered any sense of consoling she had been giving to herself since the last day.

She hoped he will come...

"Marinette it's okay." Tikki said as she poked her head out of her purse. "He will come. He said he will, remember?" 

Marinette let out a sigh as she smiled softly. "Yes he did and Chat Noir has never lied to me." she told Tikki or mostly, told herself. "He _will_ come." 

Tikki smiled and hid in her purse again as Marinette closed her eyes to relax in the morning sunlight. She had to admit, it was beautiful in the morning. Maybe she should wake up early more ofte— 

Marinette suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and her eyes shot open. She looked around herself but there was only a few people jogging around and an old woman sitting on a nearby bench with her dog at her feet in this park.

She was sure she had felt like someone... or something was watching her. She looked around herself again but found no one. She looked down at her purse and saw that Tikki was looking at her worriedly from her half open purse so only she will be able to see her. "What's wrong Tikki? Did you... feel it too?" she asked carefully, keeping an eye around them.

Tikki nodded her small head. "I did." Marinette felt several more chills creeping up her neck. "Y-You did?"

"Yes." Tikki repeated. "I don't know what it is Marinette but... it's not safe here."

"I got it. Lets go." Marinette said and as soon was Tikki was safely tucked away in her purse, started walking towards her university. Looking behind her every now and then but still found no trace of anything following her. She had felt it before too when Chat had left her on a lounge chair on a rooftop and had gone after the akuma. But it getting confirmed from Tikki... made it just more unnerving. 

She reached the university and there was still some time left. Plus she felt like the presence was gone too because she couldn't feel it anymore.

She saw Nino and Alya on the stairs and waved at them as she reached them.

"Girl! Where were you you today? You weren't on the bus and we thought you were probably running late again... but I see you are pretty early today... explain the change?"

"Why is it soooo hard to believe that I can be punctual too sometimes?" Marinette said frustratingly but she was glad to be around her friends once more and that creepy feeling was gone too.

They both laughed while she pouted. "No girl, I was just kidding. You know we love you."

Marinette sighed. "I just needed a walk around the park to you know... clear my mind a little bit." she said.

"That's good because you wouldn't believe what happened yesterday!"

Marinette groaned. "I know that there was an akuma yesterday. The whole of Paris knows that."

"No girl, an even greater news than that." Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Chat Noir is back!" _Of course Alya would be excited about that._ Marinette said as she gave a small smile. 

"Well nobody said he was gone." Nino shrugged. "He was just not seen around. He might have been taking a vacation or something."

"A vacation that lasted _four_ years?" Alya said and Nino just shrugged again. "Well I'm just glad that he is back." Alya said as she scrolled through her phone on the Ladyblog for the pictures of the last akuma battle.

"Yeah, Ladybug is nothing without her partner." Marinette said softly as she smiled to herself. "She needs him."

"Yes and she will need him even more with this new... Hawk Moth around."

The three of them turned around and were shocked to see... _Lila?_

Marinette just blinked to be sure she wasn't having a nightmare right now. "Lila?" Nino spoke first.

"Yeah, its nice to meet you guys." She said in that... sweet, disgustingly honey laced tone of hers that Marinette knew too well.

Lila came near them shaking Alya's and Nino's hands and turned to her next with a seemingly innocent smile on her face. "Weren't you gone to Italy for like the past three years or so?" Marinette deadpanned, ignoring her held out hand which she retreated slowly. Marinette would never want to shake _her_ hand in all of her life. She knew why Lila had been gone. Just as Adrien left, she probably got bored and decided to leave as well after a year of his departure. But why was she back now? And just when Marinette had thought she had got rid of her for good.

"I am going to be resuming the rest of my studies here because I didn't like Italy's environment much and all of the fun is in Paris anyways with the akumas reappearing you know." Marinette didn't know what was so _fun_ about this situation and her stupid reason didn't seem good enough for her sudden return like this. And all of this just after this new Hawk Moth's arrival. Something just didn't add up. 

Or maybe she was just overthinking i— 

"And I saw the clips from the yesterday akuma attack." Lila continued. "Ladybug seems to have gotton weak over the years she had nothing to do as she couldn't even catch that akuma this time." Marinette felt slightly shaken by her comment but even more startled by the way Lila looked her directly in the eye when she said her last sentence with a weird smile on her lips. It almost felt like she knew something about her.... But that was impossible! She just arrived here... right? And she couldn't possibly know anything aboout her. "She is going to need Chat Noir by her side more than ever now." she finished as she looked back towards her friends. 

"No way! Ladybug is not weak!" Alya protested and Nino hummed in agreement. "That akuma was way weirder than any of the previous ones."

"But you can't deny she was the one who lost the butterfly miraculous." Lila said and again she glanced at Marinette causing her to stiffen. "She is the reason Paris has to go through all of this again. I don't even think we can even rely on her anymore." Alya gaped while Nino blinked his eyes in disbelief and Marinette just stared. Trying hard for her words to not get to her. Maybe she was right. Paris couldn't trust her anymore. And what about Chat... did he still trust her...? She could bear it if the whole city said she was not trustworthy anymore but if he said it.... She would die of heartbreak. 

"Paris needs a new hero." Lila said and Marinette clenched her fists by her sides. 

"No way Lila!" Nino protested. "Everyone makes mistakes. Ladybug is our hero, its okay we can forgive her."

"Yes!" Alya said and turned to Marinette. "Tell her we are right girl." Marinette blinked at suddenly being called out. "I-I don't know Alya..." she started. "But maybe... we shouldn't trust Ladybug anymore. Maybe Chat Noir shouldn't trust her anymore either. Maybe no one should her trust her now." She said as she rubbed her arms nervously, feeling down already and it was just the start of the day. Lila just had to show her ugly face this very day when she was looking forward to meeting Chat that night... and now... she felt like quiting.

She started walking up the stairs to her classroom without a word further. Alya gaped after her disbelievingly while Nino patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Lila watched her go with a smirk on her face. Something vicious planning in her mind.

While Alya only had one question in her mind as the bell rang and they headed for their classrooms as well. 

_What was wrong with Marinette?_

* * *

Adrien stood in front of his old mansion.

It still stood tall, cold and distant... just like he remembered it. Even after four years it hadn't changed at all. It still brought him that lonely feeling it always had before. He had hoped he would never have to see it again but fate had something else planned for him. After all, when did things go his way?

He pushed open the gates and passed through the garden his mother had made years ago before disappearing without a trace. He hesitated a moment but then opened the large wooden doors to the mansion and looked inside. It had been cleaned up and ready for him to live in just as he had announced he would be leaving for Paris in a day in his last conference the day before. He was going to leave anyway so no one had questioned his sudden decision for departure and so, here he was. But it didn't mean that he wanted to be.

He sighed as he looked up at the large portrait of him, his mother and his.... father at the top of the stairs. This house brought back so many memories. It was the house he had spent his childhood in, the house he ran around in when his mother used to chase him around. And it was the same house that turned from a lively one to a cold one just as his mother left him... 

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and climbed up the stairs. Even if it has always been like this for quite some years, still it felt even more lonely and creepy in here now that even Nathalie or his father were not here.

He opened the door to his room and stepped inside. The same white, black and red decor. The same large room with lots and lots of books. The same rock climbing wall. The same three desktop. Everything the... same...

Adrien didn't care about the rest of his room as he went toward the large windows and touched the cool glass with the tips of his fingers. A smile tugged at his lips as remembered the times he used to sneak in and out of these very windows as Chat Noir. He had denied his alter self these past four years as he got busy with work and his education and yesterday was the first time he had transformed after a long while.

He felt like something was calling to him as he thought about Chat Noir and knew what it was.

"Wanna go for a run, kid?" Plagg said from behind him and he turned around. 

"If only you will allow me." Adrien said with a smile and Plagg rolled his eyes, coming to sit at his shoulder. "Come on Adrien, we both know how much you have missed being Chat Noir. And no one knows that better than I do."

"You are right." Adrien said with a distant look in his eyes as he stared out the glass windows and threw them open. A cool gust of evening air ruffling past his hair and Plagg looked up at him feeling something deep about his expression. "Only you do." Adrien said and looked at his silver ring on his right hand. Thinking for a while after which he took in a sharp breath and raised his hand in a fist.

"Plagg, Claws out!"

Just as he said it, a rush of green energy washed over him. Transforming him, energizing him, making him invulnerable. Replacing him charged with that never ending energy and he felt like a totally different person now. He opened his luminescent green eyes and looked down at himself seeing the changes in his costume which he hadn't been able to see before since he was in such a hurry to help out Ladybug. He felt his mask to make sure it was there and smiled that signature smirk of his.

He jumped on the windowsill and looked out into the orange Parisian skyline that was slowly turning to purple and took out his silver staff from behind him, extending it and jumped down with it. Taking on speed as he kept vaulting through the city rooftops. The wind ruffling his already wild hair.

He could feel that all too familiar feeling now that always came with his transformation.

_Freedom._

He gave a joyous laugh as he neared the Eiffel Tower. The sensation of the huge height, wind and several other sensations which came as his abilities as a cat flooded him with joy and warmth. A feeling he hadn't experienced in years.

He landed on a beam of the tower but kept jumping, kept climbing until he reached the top and only then did he stop. He looked below and was fascinated with the beauty of Paris. Thousands and thousands of flickering orange lights gave the view of fireflies over a pond of water. He laughed again and again until he fell tired and settled on the cool floor, mesmerized in the magic that was Paris.

He knew now all that he was missing. His happiness, his joy, his life... it was all here... in his home... in Paris.

Home... something still felt missing. He frowned as he thought about it.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

He turned and was met by Ladybug who had only now arrived. She smiled softly at him and he smiled back as she came to settle beside him. Looking at the city just as he did.

"Yeah, I— just realized how much I missed all of this." he answered as he looked over the skyline. His cat ears picking on the faint sound of a piano playing somewhere at the foot of the tower. A soft but beautiful melody.

Ladybug turned her head to see him. Her breath caught up in her throat as she saw how mystical his eyes looked with the thousands of lights reflecting in them compared with the natural luminescent glow they had. The only skin that was exposed... his face— was warmed with the orange glow. "What do you mean?" she asked. But despite the hundreds of burning questions at the tip of her tongue, she could only stare at him more. She had just now noticed how much more _taller_ he had got besides being already almost a foot taller than her when they were kids. She was not that short anymore either but she was still only reached barely above his shoulders— his broad shoulders and his broad chest... Ladybug slightly shook her head at her rebellious thoughts as she observed him more.

His suit was still that black but it had green luminescent outlines now too. At the tips of his ears, at the tip of his tail, running along his zipper and on his shoes... His suit was a lot better than it had before as it brought out his signature green even more now.

Chat Noir had been quiet at her question but as he turned his head towards her she suddenly snapped her eyes to his face. Trying hard to act casual and not creep him out by the way she had been looking him over...

He didn't seem to have noticed as he gave a slight sigh and shook his head returning his gaze over the Parisian skyline. "I was— out of Paris..." he said.

She blinked as she processed his words. "Out of Paris?" She questioned, more to herself than him. He nodded keeping his eyes fixed on the city below. "You mean you were not even here these four years?" She continued as she recalled all those nights she had spent looking around the city for him and he was not even here. She felt like a stupid teenager fawning over her crush all over again and wanted to just laugh at herself.

"Yeah." That was all. That's it. What he had to say for his long absence all this time. She felt her anger boiling inside her once again and struggled to keep in check and not break down right in front of him. "Then how did you get here so fast if you were out of Paris?" she bit out.

"I used Astro Chat." He replied simply as if it was obvious. 

She pursed her lips as she turned her gaze towards the skyline too. She wanted to yell at him at this moment but she couldn't. Instead, she felt a faint stinging behind her eyes and she hated it. He was acting like it didn't even matter to him. His long absence... like he hadn't even thought about her those four years he had been away... out of city.

Chat turned to her now. And it was now that he noticed the various changes in her. Their first meeting had been in the fighting zone and none of them had had the time to notice the other but now they were doing it. Ladybug had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her hair had grown longer too, though still in pigtails and her ribbons were longer too... enough to meet the length of her pigtails. There was more black in her suit now. Black just below her elbows and black just ending below her knees... giving the impression of gloves and high boots to her suit. He had to admit, she was a breathtaking sight but not to him... not anymore.

"You know I waited for you all these years." Chat was pulled out of his thoughts as Ladybug softly spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. But he heard it, thanks to his enhanced hearing. The music changing a more soft note now below the tower as he turned his gaze towards the sky once again. 

_She missed him._ He felt his breath hitch from emotion. There was someone who actually missed him. Who had _waited_ for him. He couldn't believe it. His friends had said they missed him... but he had seen the looks on their faces when they found out his father was Hawk Moth. He still remembered the dejected looks on his classmates' faces as he had walked into the class the other day. They hadn't said anything but he _knew_ it. He had been treated with coldness enough for his life that he knew what irony looked like. But Nino and Alya and Marinette had tried to convince him that it was not like that and they even threw him a farewell party when they gave up on trying to convince him on not leaving Paris. At least _they_ understood him... or _did they?_

That little seed of doubt was still there. After all he was the son of the person who had traumatized Paris for three years. Who had taken advantage of their insecurities and akumatized them. Made them hurt their loved ones. Made them destroy their home city. How could they _not_ hate him?

If only he had known he had been fighting his own father all those years he had done something about it. Or maybe he wouldn't have... It was his father and he hated it that he would have spared him because he still loved him... After all he had done to Paris... to him.

He shut his eyes tightly as he cleared his head of those thoughts. No, no one missed him. It was not possible. He was not one to be missed. To be wanted. To be cared for. To be someone worth spending time over let alone waiting for. No, he could not be loved. He was Hawk Moth's son... someone to be hated. There was no way Ladybug could have waited for him for four long years. There simply was no way.

He opened his eyes slightly and caught the look of concern on her face in the corner of his eye. She had seen him tightly shutting his eyes and was worried but his next words vanished that worry from her face. Chat Noir sighed as he opened his eyes with a distant look in them. "You shouldn't have waited for me." he said. "You should have moved on— just like I did." 

Ladybug felt her heart constrict with pain. Felt her eyes sting with hot tears as all the anger, all the sadness and patience she had been holding onto— was replaced by one singular emotion holding it all. Heartbreak. 

She felt all of it pouring out of her like a breaking dam of emotions. "Moved on..." she said disbelievingly. He was telling her _she should have moved on?!_ She wanted to laugh right now. How emotionless he sounded right now. He really had changed. " _Moved on?!_ " She said a bit louder not realizing her voice growing louder and Chat flinched looking at her with widened eyes.

"You show up after four years and tell me I shouldn't have waited for you and _moved on_?!" She shook her head dejectedly, a watery smile forming on her lips as a tear streamed down her cheek but she didn't feel it. All she could feel right now was disappointment, anger, resentment, hurt. 

"Ladybug—" Chat started feeling shocked at her sudden outburst but she cut him off. "NO!" she yelled. "Let me finish Chat Noir. Let me finish." she said as more tears ran down her cheeks. Chat was worried, he felt so bad seeing his partner broken for the first time like this. He didn't think he had said something too bad. After all they were just partners and... it didn't mean much right?

"What do you think I felt like when you just disappeared on me without a word, huh?" she continued. "You could have said a few words of where you were going, could have given me some explanation... could have told me _something!_ Could have left me a- a note even! But you _didn't!_ " she yelled leaving him flinching, leaving him dumbfounded. "You did _nothing_ Chat Noir!" Her voice shook with her overflowing emotions. "You did NOTHING!" She covered her face with her hands and sobbed in them, letting out all her frustration, all her anger, all her hurt. Chat felt hurt himself. She really _did_ miss him. He couldn't understand it. Couldn't understand all of this. In the years he had worked with her, Ladybug had never cried. And now she was crying, she was broken and... he was the cause of it. She had waited for _him_. He hoped he could take back his words.

He tried to reach out to her. "Ladybug please..." Suddenly his ears twitched. Catching out to a light sound of some feet landing just a little way behind him. Someone was here. "WHY!" Ladybug shouted at him. "Why Chat? Why?!" she cried. "Ladybug—" he tried to quiet her but she didn't listen. "Why?! Tell me why you left like that! Tell me!" "LADYBUG!" He said loudly this time and placed a finger on her lips, shushing her. She abruptly stopped crying as she saw the alarmed look in his eyes.

Something didn't feel right, now that she focused on it too. She couldn't hear it like Chat but when she blinked her eyes to rid of her tears she could faintly see a figure... a silhoutte of someone standing in the shadows on the Eiffel Tower, a fair distance away from them... behind Chat. 

But what made chills run down her spine were the glowing yellow eyes of it... directed at her. She trembled. Chat's finger still on her lips as they had frozen. Chat anticipating its next move as he couldn't actually see it with his back to it but he could feel Ladybug tremble slightly.

Suddenly she gave out a sigh and he took it as a sign and removed his finger from her lips.

The figure had gone.

"What was it?" He asked her as he stood up and looked around them but couldn't see anything.

"I couldn't see it clearly." she answered as she stood up behind him. "It was dark and all I could see was a figure. But what made it look more frightening was..." She trailed on as she rubbed her arms subconsciously. Chat Noir turned towards her. "Its- its bright yellow eyes. Th- they were looking straight at me..."

Chat frowned and came near her, cautiously placing his hands on her shoulders as she looked up at him. Her cheeks were still stained with her tears and his heart panged to see her like this. "We will figure it out. Don't worry." He said in an attempt to soothe her. "But it didn't feel right." she whispered. "It was stalking us."

He inhaled sharply as he mulled it over in his head. She was right. It was stalking them. This night had gone much rougher than he had anticipated. Who was this stalker? But they would figure it out later. Right now, Ladybug needed him.

"We will figure it out." He repeated reassuringly and thought about what could he do to comfort her and slowly took her into his embrace. She stiffened at first but relaxed a second later. Her sudden outburst had ended into an abrupt encounter with this 'stalker'... whoever it was. She felt embarassed by the way she had broken in front of him but what else could she have done? She still felt so mad at him.

"Ladybug— I... I am sorry." Chat whispered with his chin rested atop her head. "I-I know it wont be enough but I am sorry. I just— something happened after- after Hawk Moth was defeated." He decided to come clean to her. Well as much clean as he could with his identity hanging at risk. "And I-I just... lost it." He tried to hold back the slight quiver in his voice but Ladybug felt it. "I couldn't bear to face anyone in that moment... let alone face... you." He said and she suddenly felt guilty. She had been so selfish to think only about her own emotions when he had been struggling with something himself. Something that had caused him to run away like that.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered and she looked up at him to see that some tears had collected in his eyes as well and she wanted to cry all over again. "I- I wont do that ever again."

"Promise?" she asked and he gave her a watery smile. "Promise." She found her face lighting up and reached up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. Chat tensed at her sudden show of affection but melted into it soon after, enjoying the feel of a hug he hadn't felt in years. He separated soon after as he tried to maintain some distance between them but she stopped him by grabbing him by his arms. A look of concern in her eyes. "You could talk about it."

He wished he could. "You know we can't talk like that." She sighed in understanding. Identities were at risk. And she really hated this rule for the first time in her life. "Okay." She said nonetheless. She smiled softly matching his own as they stared into each other's eyes.

Maybe, just maybe they could be together again.

Maybe this was what Chat was missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I really REALLY appreciate those people who have left me with kudos... I am really thankful. But there's something important I want to talk to you about. I'm want to be an author... and I have a budding career ahead of me... this is something I really enjoy doing and want to keep doing. But I need a little help from u too. A friend advised me to start by writing articles to a newspaper or a fanfiction. I've chosen this.  
> But I need u guys to TELL me what u like about a chapter I post or what u don't. And I'm being honest here. The number of hits and kudos I've got are less important to me than a heartfelt, guiding comment from the viewers.... from u guys.  
> Because I NEED to know if u like my writing style or not. If there is a mistake.  
> Hope u will understand...  
> Sorry for the long note.  
> Until next time. Thank u guys!


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